“We are ambitious. The Mercedes brand has a lot of potential in India and the year 2013 is the year of offensive for us. The new GL-Class will further strengthen our dominance in the Luxury Large SUV segment,” Mercedes Benz India Managing Director and CEO Eberhard Kern said.

The GL-Class was one among the slew of products, including the upcoming hatchback A-class, that the company planned to launch in India, he added.

The new SUV is powered by a 2,987-cc, V6 diesel engine and will take on Audi’s top end SUV model Q7.

The car was launched by former tennis star and the company’s global brand ambassador Boris Becker.

“I have been associated with the company for the last 17 years and I have three car dealerships in Germany. India is a large market and as a global brand ambassador of the company, I want the brand to be successful here,” he said.